Leaf stemming and spreading machine



Mali' 5 1959 H. H. WHEELER 2,884,929

LEAF STEMMING AND SPREADING MACHINE Filed oct. 31, 1955 7 sheets-sheet 1 ,2,35 Q4/ ,244 )ZIO ,258

A224 2,26 /lQl A- v- 'LT INVENTOR HENRY H., WHEELER Gi ym ATTORNEY' May-5 1959 H. H. WHEELER 2,884,929

4 LEAF STEMMING AND SPREADING MACHINE v Filed not. 51, v1955A 7 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY May 5, 1959 I H. HzwHEELER 2,884,929

LEAF STEMMING AND SPREADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 3l. 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 y ffz" HENRY H. WHEELER 9 4 0@ Je 96 243 94 1% #a "TORNEY May 5, 1959 H. H. WHEELER 2,884,929

LEAF STEMMING AND SPREADING MACHINE Filed-oct. 3,1, 1955 Y i '7 sheets-sheet 4 Fla-2A @A ov' v56E/4656 INVENTOR HENRY H WHEELER ATTORNEY May" 5, 1959 H. H. WHEELER f 2,884,929

LEAF STEMMING AND SPREADING MACHINE Filed oct. 51, 1955 'l sheets-sheet 5 ATTORNEY H. H;-wl -|EE| ER LEAF STMMING AND SPREADING MACHINE May 5, 1959 'I sheets-sheet e Filed oct. 51 1955 R., R v OE .E ...mmf N N Ewdf V n NH A Vl m w Y cHhsm/ .Q Nw w. www www ,uw www NNN @uw www, www

May 5, 1959 H. H. WHEELER LEAF STEMMING AND SFREADING MACHINE Filed oct. 31. 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 ATTORNEY United States Patent LEAF STEMMING AND SPREADING MACHINE Henry H. Wheeler, Bellerose, N.Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 31, 1955, Serial No. 543,923

20 Claims. (Cl. 131125) This invention relates to tobacco leaf stemming and spreading and more particularly to a method and machine for removing tobacco leaves and discharging the tobacco leaf lamina in spread out condition onto a traveling collecting conveyor.

In the manufacture of long ller cigars in a cigar making machine, it is desirable that the tobacco used in the iiller be free from stems and that the lamina be stretched out rather than crumpled into balls. It has been found that when the lamina is prearranged in this manner, better smoking and ash bearing qualities are found in the cigar than when the iller is crumpled into balls.

Cigar manufacturers employ booking machines which shear stems from tobacco leaves and accumulate the lamina remaining on top of one another in between traveling belts. The capacity of such a machine is approximately two hands of tobacco leaf lamina when it must be emptied.

'Ihe lamina so accumulated in spread out condition is used for the binder and wrapper leaf that encloses the ller of the cigar. During the process of manufacture, a sheet of lamina so accumulated in the booking machine is removed and placed in spread out condition on a die. The die severs a section of the correct shape from the lamina, after which the severed section of lamina is transferred to the cigar machine which applies it about the cigar.

This booking machine was not intended for making cigar filler. Nevertheless, because there was no other machine available which could make cigar ller in the manner above described, cigar manufacturers had to use booking machines forthis purpose. When the booked or stacked lamina is used for filler, the stacks or pads of lamina are removed from the machine and are separated leaf by leaf and placed on a drying tray for conditioning and binning. This procedure obviously involved a great deal of lost time and effort because the machine was designed for making cigar wrapper and binder material rather than filler material.

Wrapper and binder material, on the other hand, is maintained in this spread out booked condition so that when the operator receives a stack of leaves, she merely has to remove one leaf at a time from the top and place it in spread out condition on the binder or Wrapper cutting die where it is severed and transferred into the cigar machine.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a machine for stemming and spreading out tobacco leaves for cigar ller which will accumulate the spread out lamina on a drying tray, in non-stacked arrangement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which will spread out tobacco leaves and remove stems from the leaves during the process of spreading out the leaf and at the same time deposit the stem-free lamina upon a collecting conveyor.

A further object is to provide a simple and reliable detector for detecting the presence of a tobacco leaf.

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A further object of this invention is to provide a unique method for handling tobacco leaves which will require a minimum of parts and at the same time eiectively support a tobacco leaf lamina in spread out condition and instantly eject the leaf in a stretched out condition when the stem has been completely removed and the tobacco leaf is in its proper discharge position.

A further object is to provide elongated ejecting rollers for removing tobacco leaves from between conveying belts.

Another object is to provide a cycling device which is actuated by the leaf.

Other objects and features of the invention Will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

Figs. l and lA when joined on line A-A represent a side elevation of the leaf stemming and spreading machine.

Figs. 2 and 2A when joined on line B-B represent a plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the machine taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional side elevation of the in-feed end of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional end elevation of the detecting and in-feed mechanism taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional end elevation of the stern cutting mechanism taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional end elevation of the in-feed spreading rollers taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a detailed partial end elevation of the feed control mechanism taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a partial side elevation illustrating the driving means of the in-feed driving rollers taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 2.

In the apparatus I have employed to illustrate the invention, the leaf spreading and stemming machine is provided with a leaf conveying device, by means of which the leaves are guided and conveyed through the machine. Said conveying device consists of a pair of wide spaced endless steel belts 14 and 16 between which and in the same plane travels a narrower endless steel belt 18. Belts I4, 16, and 13 are continuously driven by a common pulley 1@ and supported by an idler pulley 12. The latter is loosely suported by a transverse shaft 20, while driving pulley 10 is secured to a transverse shaft 22 supported in suitable bearings of the main frame 24 of the machine.

Shaft 22 carries a gear 26 and 28 at eac-h end. Gear 26 meshes with and is driven by a gear 30 loosely supported by a stud shaft 32 held by the main frame 24. The hub of gear 30 is integral with a sprocket 34 which is continuously rotated through a chain 36 from a suitable source of power such as a gear reduction motor (not shown). Gear 26 also meshes with a gear 38 (Figs. 1 and2) which is mounted on a transverse shaft 40 supported by suitable bearings in the main frame 24.

A combination pulley 42 is secured to the center portion of shaft 40 and drives and supports two wide spaced endless steel belts 44 and 46. A V-shaped rubber belt 48, also supported on pulley 42, travels in the center between the two spaced steel belts 44 and 46 and directly above the narrow steel belt 18 mentioned heretofore. The lower run of the two wide steel belts 44 and 46, runs directly above the upper run of the two steel belts 14 and 16 and yieldingly engages with the same so as to permit contact with the lamina on each side of the stem. These belts 44 and 46 convey the leaf through the machine while the center stem is engaged at the infeed end of the machine by the narrow lower steel belt 18 and the upper rubber belt 48.

The rubber belt 48 provides the necessary resiliency required to compensate for the varying thickness of the stem portion of the leaf. The rubber belt 48 is also supported by an idler pulley 50 secured to a shaft 52 supported in suitable bearing slots 54 of a bearing bracket 56 to facilitate cleaning of the belt 48.

Bracket 56 is suspended and secured from a transverse bar 58 which is supported by and mounted on the top edges of the main frame 24. The steel belts 44 and 46 are also led over an idler pulley 60 (Figs. 1A and 2A) loosely supported on a transverse shaft 62 secured at each end in brackets 64 which are attached to and supported by suitable frame or tie rods 66 which form the connection between the main frame 24 and an end frame 68.

The idler pulley 60 also supports one end of another narrow steel belt 70 which travels between the wider spaced steel belts 44 and 46. The forward end of the narrow belt 70 is supported by an idler pulley 72 secured to a shaft 74 rotatably mounted in suitable bearing lugs 76 which at one end are pivotally attached to a stud f shaft 78 held by the bracket 56 which permits the front end of the narrow belt 70 and pulley 72 to raise as the stem portion S of the leaf engages between belt 70 and the narrow bottom belt 18 as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

In order to provide some tension upon belt 70 to assure a iirrn engagement with the stern S, the top edges of the two bearing lugs 76 engage with a vertical rod 80 and 82 respectively both of which at their upper end slidingly engage with a guide lug 84 secured to the transverse bar 58. Each vertical rod also carries a collar 86 and a tension spring 88, each of which surrounds its rod 80 and 82 respectively. The springs 88 are confined between the bottom surface of lug 84 and the collar 86 on its respective rod, thus urging each rod downward on its respective bearing lug 76.

About mid-way between the idler pulley 50 of the belt 48 and the pulley 72 of belt 70 is located the leaf stemming or cutting mechanism which consists of two spaced female knives 90 which straddle the narrow steel belt 18 (Fig. 6) and a male cutting disc 92. The latter is mounted on a shaft 94 supported by suitable bearing bracket 56. A gear 96 is secured to shaft 94 and meshes with and is driven by a gear @8 which in turn is driven by the gear 30 mentioned heretofore.

The two female knives 90 are slideably keyed to a shaft 100 which is driven by a gear 102 secured thereto and meshing with the gear 96. Two rollers 104 and 106 are secured to shaft 100 and support the steel belts 14 and 16 respectively at the stem cutting station. Surrounding the hub of each female knife is a tension spring 108 each of which is confined in a suitable bore 110 in the rollers 104 and 106 respectively. The springs 108 are so arranged as to exert pressure against the slideably mounted knives 90 to assure close Contact with the male disc 92.

To assure a firm grip on the laminae portion L of the leaf on each side of the stem S during cutting operation, the shaft 94 also carries a pair of spaced rubber rollers 112 (Fig. 6) which effect slight pressure to each pair of laminae conveying steel belts 14 and 44 and 16 and 46 as they pass between said rubber rollers 112 and rollers 104 and 106 respectively.

To prevent any sagging of the bottom steel belts 14 and 16 as well as the stem carrying narrow steel belt at the infeed and cutting end of the machine, a plurality of suitable supporting rollers 114 are provided (Fig. 4). To assure a clean cutting knife at all times the male knife 92 is provided with a scraper bar 116 which is suspended from and secured to the bracket 56. The shaft 100, as well as the belt supporting rollers 114, are supported by suitable bearing bracket 118 secured to the bed 120 of the machine.

In order to spread each leaf before it reaches the stem cutting station, the machine is provided with two pairs of intermeshing angular mounted lluted rollers 122. The two meshing rollers of each pair of rollers are spaced from each other a distance sufficient to prevent ripping or tearing of the leaf by allowing for a certain amount of slippage. At the same time the corrugated rollers assert a gripping action on the lamina which is sufiicient to effect a spreading of the leaf as it is conveyed along its axial length through said rollers by the belts 14, 44 and 16, 46.

To effectively support the leaf during this infeed and spreading operation, the machine is provided with a spaced pair of suitably shaped leaf receiving and supporting plates 124. Each pair of iiuted rollers 122 may be made of any suitable material, as for example Telion and are provided with a pair of meshing gears 126. These gears in turn are continuously driven through a bevel gear 128 which meshes with a bevel gear 130. One of the bevel gears 130 is coupled to the hub of one of the main driving gears 30 (Fig. 2) while the other bevel gear is loosely supported by a stud shaft 132 and integral with a gear 134 driven by the gear 28.

The machine lis provided with a leaf ejecting device in order to eject the two halves of a leaf after the stem portion is cut from its center. Since batches of short or long leaves may be processed at various times, the ejecting device is actuated by a suitable adjustable timer to increase the eciency of the output of the machine and prevent loss of time which would occur if the machine were designed for a maximum length of leaf only.

The leaf ejecting device consists chieliy of two pairs of rollers, one pair of which is located on each side and parallel to the outer edges of the leaf conveyor belts 14, 44 and 16, 46. Each pair of ejecting rollers consists of a stationary supported roller 136 and a swingably mounted continuously driven roller 138. Each stationary roller 136 is rotatably supported at one end by the bracket 118 while the other end is rotatably supported by a bearing block 140 (Figs. 1A and 3) held by a transverse bar 142 which in turn is supported by and secured at each end to one of the tie rods 66.

During the period a leaf is conveyed through the machine and rollers 138 are in raised position, the stationary rollers 136 act as supports for the lamina portion of the leaf projecting from conveyor belts 14, 44 and 16, 46. Each upper roller 138 at one end is rotatably supported in the free end of an arm 144 while the other end of each roller is rotatably supported in the free end of an arm 146. Each pair of arms, consisting of arms 144 and 146, carrying one roller, is mounted on a shaft 148 each of which is rotatably supported on one end by the bracket 64, while the other end is rotatably supported by a bracket 150 held by and secured to the tie rods 66.

To one end of each roller 138 is secured a bevel gear 152 which meshes with a bevel gear 154. One bevel gear 154, driving one of the rollers 138, is mounted on a shaft 156, while the other bevel gear 154, driving the other roller 138, is mounted on a shaft 158. Both shafts 156 and 158 are supported by suitable bearing lugs pr0- jecting from each of the respective arms and both shafts at one end carry a gear 160 and 162 respectively. Gear 160, through intermediate gears 164 and 166, is driven by a gear 168, while gear 162 through intermediate gears and 172, is driven by a gear 174. Gears 168 and 174 are mounted on a transverse shaft 176 which at its erds is supported in suitable bearings in the main frame A sprocket 178 is secured to shaft 176 and engages with and is driven through the chain 36 from the main drive of the machine. A lift lever 180 is secured to each of the arm carrying shafts 148. The free end of each of the lift levers. 1 30 is connected through a suitable link 182 to a horizontal var 184 which is pivoted in its center portion by means of a stud 185 to the projecting end of an armature 186 of a solenoid 188 suspended from and secured to a suitable frame bracket 190.

To stud 185, carried by the armature 186, is also pivoted the forked end of a double arm 192, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a Vertical rod 194 of a damper or dash pot 196 employed for the purpose of dampening the clicking noise of the solenoid during operation. The solenoid 188 is employed for the purpose of lifting the rotating ejectng rollers 13S upward and out of contact with the stationary rollers 136 during stem cutting and leaf conveying operation.

After the stern S is completely severed from the two lamina halves of the leaf, the solenoid 188 is disengaged, thus permitting the rotating rollers 138 to drop down on the lamina portion of the leaf which is supported by the stationary supported rollers 136. This contact of the leaf by the rotating rollers 138 causes each half of the leaf to be pulled out from between the conveying steel belts 14, 44 and 16, 46 and deposits the outspread lamina on a suitable collector conveyor which is moved beneath said rollers 136 and 138. This collector conveyor may consist of a belt or suitable collecting trays arranged sideby-side.

The collecting conveyor consists of a plurality of spaced rotating rollers 200 which support and advance the conveyor belt or trays whichever is employed. The conveyor rollers 200 are rotatably supported at each end in a suitable frame structure 202. Each roller on one end is also provided with a sprocket 204 all of which engage with an endless chain 286 which is driven continuously at a proper rate of speed by a suitable source of power (not shown) The half leaf pieces of laminae discharged from each successive leaf will be lying side-by-side or over lapped in shingle formation on the collector conveyor belt or trays 198, depending upon the rate of speed of the conveyor.

It will be understood from the drawings that the stem S after being severed from the leaf, as shown in Fig. 6, continues to be conveyed along between the steel belts 18 and 70 as shown in Fig. 5 and the stems S are ejected longitudinally at D as the belts 18 and 70 separate and pass around pulleys 12 and 60 respectively, as shown in Fig. 1A.

The action of the solenoid 188 which effects the raising and lowering of the ejecting rollers 138 is controlled through a micro switch 208 (Figs. l, 4 and 5) secured to a supporting bracket 210 Vmounted on the transverse bar 58. The switch 288 is a two-way type and is provided with an on button 212 and an or button 214. The on button 212 projects downwardly towards the top surface of a double arm latch lever 216 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 218 held by the bracket 210.

The free end 228 of the latch lever 216 rests on the upper free end of vertical rod 80 which, as mentioned heretofore, rests and contacts with its lower end one of the pivoted bearing lugs 76 holding the pulley 72. The other free end 222 of the latch lever 216 engages with a latch finger 224 mounted on a horizontal shaft 226 supported by a suitable bearing in bracket 218 (Fig. 8). A timing gear 228 is secured to shaft 226 and meshes with a gear 238 loosely mounted on a horizontal shaft 232. A flange 234 is secured to the latter and on its face carries a friction disc 236 which is integral with the sleeve like hub of the gear 230.

Loosely located on shaft 232, between the end face of gear 230 and the inner face of the bearing lug of bracket 210, is a spring washer 240 (Fig. 8). The spring washer 240 is employed for the purpose of keeping the ange 238 of gear 230 in frictional engagement with the flange 234 mounted on shaft 232. The shaft 232 also carries a gear 242 on its front end which is continuously driven by the gear 98. The rotation of gear 242 through shaft 232,

friction flanges 234, 238 and gear 230 causes the timing gear 228 on shaft 226 to turn also.

Since latch finger 224, which is also mounted on shaft 226, is in engagement with the end 222 of latch lever 216, gear 228, and, consequently, gear 230 is arrested and the integral friction flange 238 of the latter remains stationary against the constantly revolving friction flange 234- on the continuously driven shaft 232.

A timer arm 244 is adjustably mounted on timer gear carrying shaft 226 and actuates a trip lever 246 which in turn contacts and depresses the olf button 214 of the switch 208 and thereby causes the disengagement of the solenoid 188.

The operation of the leaf stemming and spreading machine is as follows.

The operator guides the butt end of the stem S of the leaf between the narrow steel belt 18 and the V-shaped rubber belt 48 which will also effect an engagement of the laminae portion adjacent each side of the stem with the conveyor belts 14, 44 and 16, 46 respectively. The protruding side portions of the leaf slidingly conveyed over the table or leaf supporting plates 124 then engage with the rotating angularly mounted fluted spreading rollers 122 Which cause the passing leaf to be flattened out in a desirable manner. There is approximately a 1A6 clearance between the flutes of the upper and lower rolls at all times and even though a leaf lamina may be torn before it is fed into the machine the rolls will not tear it any more yet it Will still spread out the wrinkles.

As the stern portion of the leaf passes between the rotating knives 90 and 92 the stem S is cut out o-f the center of the leaf and the two halves of the same are kept in the grip of the continuously advancing conveyor belts 14, 44 and 16, 46. As the butt end of the stem, after passing said knives, engages with and beneath the narrow steel belt 70, it causes the pulley 72 to rise or move upward dueto the thickness of the stern.

This upward movement of course is also transmitted to the pivotally mounted bearing lugs 76 which in turn also move the vertical rods 80 and 82 upwardly. Since the upper end of rod 80 is in contact with the bottom surface of the free end 220 of latch lever 216, such upward movement of rod 80 causes end 220 of latch lever 216 to go up and the end 222 of the same to go down. The upward movement of end 220 causes the on button of switch 288 to be depressed while the downward movement of end 222 causes the disengagement of latch finger 224 from the notched end 222 of latch lever 216.

The depressing of on button effects the energizing of the solenoid 188 causing, through the connections described heretofore, a lifting of the rotating ejector rollers 138 and thus permitting the sidewardly projecting two halves of the stemmed leaf to slide undisturbed over the stationary supported rollers 136. To one of the roller carrying arms 146 is mounted a bracket 248 to which is pivotally attached a vertical rod 250 which with its upper end engages with a suitable hole 252 provided in the end 220 of the latch lever 216.

On the upper end of rod 250, a predetermined distance below the bottom surface of the end 220 of lever 216 is adjustably mounted a cone shaped collar 254 which is employed for the purpose of lifting the end 220 of latch lever 216 high enough to effect a positive unlatching of the latch finger 224 from the end 222 of said latch lever in case the stem of a leaf is so thin that only the on button of the switch 208 is actuated but the downward movement of end 222 is not sufficient to effect an unlatching, The unlatching of finger 224 of course frees the timer gear carrying shaft 226 wihch immediately starts rotating due to the fr-ictional connection of its driving gear 230 with the continuously rotating shaft 232 described heretofore.

When the timer arm 244, rotating with shaft 226 and timer gear 228, reaches and engages with the bottom surface of the pivotally mounted trip lever 246 it causes the latter to swing in such a manner as to contact and depress the o1f" or stop button 214 of the switch 208 and thereby effect a deenergizing of the solenoid 188. The deenergizing of the latter, as mentioned heretofore, effects a dropping of the ejector rollers 138 on the lamina halves of the leaf, which discharges the latter from the conveyor belt 14, 44 and 16, 46 and deposits the same into the conveyor 198 passing beneath.

As the rollers 138 reach their downward position and since the tip of the cut stem has passed the pulley 72 of belt 70, the latch lever 216, due to a suitably mounted tension spring 256, resumes its normal horizontal position. As latch finger 224 cornes around it engages automatically with the notched end 222 of latch lever 216 and the timing gear 228 and shaft 226 is arrested until latch lever 216 is tripped again by the stem of a new leaf.

The timer arm 244 through which the solenoid 188 is deenergized and the ejector roller 138 brought into action may be set in accordance with the length of the leaves processed. A suitable scale provided on the `face of the primer gear 228 permits easy setting of arm 244. A stop pin 258 and a tension spring 260 (Fig. 4) are provided to normally keep one end of the trip lever in the path of the timer arm 244 and the other end out of contact with the o or stop button 214 of switch 208 except during contact with the timer arm 244 as described above.

yIn order to keep the machine clean and free from tobacco gum and tobacco accumulations there are provided numerous scrapers and brushes. A pair of rotating brushes 262 and 264 are in contact with the outer side of conveyor belts 14, 44 and 16, 46 and also with the stem conveyor belts 18, 70. The stripped or lamina free stem is discharged longitudinally from the machine at the stem ejecting station D shown in Fig. lA.

Brush 262 (Fig. 1A) is mounted on a suitably supported transverse shaft 266 which also carries a gear 268 which is driven through a gear 270 by a gear 272 mounted on the rotating shaft 20. The brush 264 is mounted on a suitably supported transverse shaft 274 which also carries a gear 276 which through a gear 278 is driven by a gear 280 mounted on the rotating shaft 62.

The hub of gear 280 by means of a sleeve coupling 281 is connected to the hub of the pulley 60 (Fig. 2A) loosely supported by the stationary shaft 62 but driven through the conveyor belts 44, 46, and 70. The sleeve coupling 281 of course is also rotatably supported by the shaft 62. The gear 272 which is loosely supported by the stationary shaft 20 is also connected to the pulley 12 by a sleeve coupling (not shown) similar to the coupling 281.

Another brush 282 (Fig. 4) is provided to clean the inner side `of the belts 14, 16 and 18. Brush 282 is secured to the rotating shaft 176 and is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. A suitably mounted scraper plate 284 and 286 is employed to keep the surface of the idler pulleys 20 and 60 respectively clean and free from gum (Fig. 1A). Suitably mounted scraper plates 288 and 290 Fig. 4 are in permanent contact with the surface of the driving pulleys and 42 respectively. Suitably mounted scraper bars 292 and 294 Fig. lA keep the belts 14, 16, 18 and 44, 46, 70 respectively free `from collecting gum or other foreign matter.

The invention hereinabove described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. A leaf stemming and spreading machine comprising a conveyor for gripping the stem and leaf lamina adjoining the stem and conveying it axially along a predetermined path of travel, an angularly arranged corrugated roller positioned adjacent the path of travel of said lamina to engage and spread out the lamina as it travels along said path of travel, a stem conveying mechanism, a cutter for severing said lamina from said stern as said stem is moved along said predetermined path of travel, a detector positioned adjacent said stem cutter for determining the presence of a stem, an ejecting mechanism for ejecting severed lamina, a solenoid actuated by said detector to deactivate said ejecting mechanism each time a stem is detected, a collector conveyor, and a timer actuated by said detector for deactivating said solenoid each time said stern conveying mechanism has traveled a predetermined distance after a detector has been activated to cause tobacco leaf lamina to be deposited on said collecting conveyor.

2. A leaf stemming and spreading machine comprising means for engaging the stem and portions of the tobacco leaf lamina adjacent to the stem and conveying it in stretched out condition along said means, a cutter for severing said stem from the lamina as it is conveyed by said means and an ejector positioned on opposite sides of the path of travel of said severed lamina for discharging said tobacco lea'f lamina sidewise each time the cutter has completed the severance of the stem from the tobacco leaf lamina.

3. A leaf stemming and spreading machine comprising oppositely disposed pairs of spaced steel belts for supporting the edge of the leaf lamina on opposite sides of the stem and conveying the lamina axially, a center steel belt traveling in between said pairs of spaced steel belts for supporting the stem of the tobacco leaf as it is moved along with said belts, cutting mechanism for severing the lamina from the stem as it is moved axially by said pairs of steel belts, a rubber belt positioned above said center steel belt for holding the stem in contact therewith, means for laterally ejecting said lamina after it has been conveyed a predetermined distance by said pairs of steel belts, and a transverse conveyor for receiving said ejected strips of lamina in outspread form.

4. The method of stemming and collecting lamina from tobacco leaves which comprises the steps of, spreading the lamina outwardly, severing the stem from the lamina as the stem and leaf are advanced axially in outspread condition, laterally ejecting the halves of the lamina severed from the stem when the tobacco lamina reaches a predetermined position while continuing the axial advance of the severed stern to separate the stem from the lamina and collecting the lamina in outspread form in a direction transverse to the direction in which the stern is ejected.

5. A leaf stemming and spreading machine comprising obliquely disposed pairs of slightly spaced corrugated rollers for engaging and spreading out the lamina of a tobacco leaf, a cutter for severing the stem of a tobacco leaf from the lamina as the leaf is advanced axially, pairs of steel conveyor belts engaging and supporting the edge of the lamina adjacent the stem, a pair of spaced steel conveyor belts engaging and supporting the severed stem, said last mentioned belts being located between said lamina conveying steel conveyor belts, means for moving all of said steel belts in time with each other to advance said stem and severed lamina in unison with each other, and an ejecting mechanism for ejecting sidewise in outspread form the severed lamina when it has been advanced to a predetermined position by said belts, while allowing the stem to continue its axial movement towards a stem ejecting station.

6. A leaf stemming and spreading machine comprising, an infeed table, pairs of oppositely disposed spaced steel belts, traveling over said infeed table along a predetermined path, a middle belt positioned between said pairs of steel belts for feeding a tobacco leaf towards a severing station, a pair of swept back corrugated rollers for engaging with the lamina of the leaf as it is forwarded along said predetermined path to spread out the tobacco leaf lamina, and a cutter positioned adjacent said corrugated rollers for severing the tobacco stem from the tobacco leaf lamina.

7. A leaf stemming and spreading machine, comprising an infeed table, pairs of swept-back corrugated rollers positioned to engage with the leaf lamina on opposite sides of a stem as it is fed over said infeed table, a center steel conveyor belt for supporting the stem of a tobacco leaf, a rubber belt positioned over said center steel conveyor belt for holding the stem in contact therewith and imparting axial movement thereto, a pair of severing knives positioned on each side of the center steel conveyor belt for severing the stem from the tobacco leaf lamina, a center ledger roller coacting with said pairs of severing knives to effect a severance of the lamina from the stem while holding the stern up against the steel center belt, a lamina ejector, pairs of steel belts engaging with the opposite sides of the tobacco leaf lamina immediately adjacent the edges thereof for moving the v lamina axially, and a timer for actuating a lamina ejector when the lamina has travelled a predetermined distance and a second steel belt coacting with the center steel belt for holding a tobacco stem therebetween and forwarding the stem to a stem ejecting station.

8. A leaf stemming machine comprising oppositely disposed pairs of steel belts for engaging the tobacco leaf lamina of a tobacco leaf on opposite sides adjacent the stem portion of said tobacco leaf, means for severing the stem from the tobacco leaf as it is advanced axially, means for laterally ejecting the tobacco leaf lamina in outspread form when it has reached a predetermined ejecting station, and means for simultaneously advancing the severed tobacco stem to a stem ejecting station.

9. A cutting mechanism for severing a stem from a tobacco leaf comprising a steel belt for forwarding the stem portion of the tobacco leaf axially, a roller having a concave periphery engaging with said stem and holding it on said steel conveyor belt, and a pair of cylindrical severing knives coacting with said roller to sever the lamina portion of the leaf from the stem as it travels under the roller having a concave periphery.

l0. A cutting mechanism having the features provided for in claim 9 wherein springs are provided for urging said cylindrical severing knives up against said concave roller to maintain a tight shearing action therewith.

l1. Leaf spreading mechanism comprising pairs of corrugated intermeshing rollers arranged in swept-back position and having a clearance between the corrugations of the intermeshing rollers of approximately g", said rollers being swept-back from the direction in which the stem is fed axially to gently spread out the tobacco leaf lamina as it travels between the corrugations of the rollers.

12. Leaf spreading mechanism comprising pairs of intermeshing corrugated rollers arranged in V formation, wherein the apex of the V faces in the direction in which a leaf is fed through the mechanism `and means for feeding a wrinkled leaf so that the butt 'end of the leaf is fed towards the apex of said V and the lamina thereof is moved between said corrugated rollers so as to be spread out thereby as the rollers are rotated.

13. A leaf stemming and lamina accumulating machine comprising an infeed table, pairs of steel belts engaging and forwarding a tobacco leaf axially, means for severing the stem from said tobacco leaf as itis forwarded axially by said pairs of steel belts, ejecting rollers positioned adjacent the path of travel of said tobacco leaf lamina, a timing device for operating said ejecting rollers to eject said severed tobacco leaf lamina laterally in outspread form when said tobacco leaf lamina has travelled axially a predetermined distance, means for continuing lthe axial advance of said severed stem, after the lamina has been ejected laterally, to a stem ejecting station, and means for collecting said tobacco leaf lamina in outspread form from said ejecting mechanism.

14. A leaf stemming and lamina collecting machine comprising means for feeding tobacco leaves axially, cutters for severing a stern from the lamina as the tobacco leaf is fed axially, corrugated swept-back rollers for spreading out the lamina prior to the severing operation, means for forwarding the tobacco leaf that has had the stem severed from the lamina axially along a predetermined path in outspread form, rollers positioned adjacent the longitudinal path of travel of said severed lamina over which the outspread tobacco leaf lamina is moved, said rollers being obliquely mounted adjacent opposite sides of the path of travel of said stem, a second pair of driven ejecting rollers mounted in parallel with said first pair of rollers and movable towards and away from said first pair of rollers, means for bringing said driven ejecting rollers towards said first pair of rollers to impart ejecting movement to the several lamina in coaction with the first pair of rollers to eject the severed portions of tobacco leaf lamina in a direction transverse to the axial travel of the tobacco stem, a conveyor traveling in a direction that is parallel to the direction in which the tobacco leaf lamina is ejected to collect the same in outspread form, and means for continuing the axial movement of said severed stems to a stem ejecting station.

15. A leaf stemming and lamina collecting machine comprising pairs of continuously running steel belts for engaging and forwarding tobacco leaf lamina in outspread form along a predetermined path, stem engaging steel belts spaced from each other to grip a stem on opposite sides, said last mentioned belts being located in between said pairs of continuously running belts and traveling in time with the lamina engaging belts, means for severing the stem of a tobacco leaf from the lamina thereof as it is axially advanced by said last mentioned steel belts, a detecting mechanism for detecting the presence of a stem, a timer, means for setting said timer in operation when said stem is detected to cause said stem and lamina to be `advanced a predetermined distance, lcutting mechanism for cutting the stem from the tobacco leaf lamina as -it is advanced axially along a predetermined path of travel, leaf ejecting mechanism extending along the path of travel of said stem and severed lamina as it is advanced in outspread form, means for causing said leaf ejecting mechanism to be actuated by said timer after the lapse of a predetermined length of time to discharge the tobacco leaf in outspread form in a direction transverse to the -direction in which it was traveling prior to being engaged by said ejecting mechanism and a discharge station Where stems are discharged by said stem engaging steel belts.

16. A stemming and leaf spreading machine comprising a stem supporting steel belt, a rubber belt positioned above said stem supporting belt for holding a tobacco stem against said steel belt, a pair of steel belts positioned on opposite sides of said stem supporting belt and moving along the same plane as said stem supporting belt for supporting the lamina immediately adjacent the stem of the tobacco leaf, tinted, intermeshing rollers arranged in V-formation with the point of the V facing in the direction of travel of the leaves, means for imparting rotary movement to said fluted rollers to brush out the wrinkles in the lamina of the tobacco leaf, a cutter positioned to sever the lamina from the stem when the stern has moved out from between the rubber belt and the steel belt, a timer for ascertaining the distance the leaf has traveled after leaving the cutting element, ejecting mechanism for laterally discharging the lamina in outspread form when said timer indicates that the leaf has traveled a predetermined distance, and means for causing said stem to move axially to a point where it is discharged at a stem separating station.

17. A stemming and leaf spreading apparatus comprising a stem conveying belt having a Width approximating that of a tobacco stem, means for maintaining said tobacco stem on said belt as it travels along therewith, pairs of fluted rollers disposed at an angle with respect to the path of travel of said stem and positioned on opposite sides thereof to brush out the wrinkles in the lamina as the stern is advanced by'said stern conveying belt, a cutting device for severing the tobacco lamina from the stem as soon as the lamina has been brushed outwardly, a stem detecting conveyor for detecting the presence of a stem, a lamina ejecting device positioned and extending along the path of travel of said stern for ejecting the severed lamina laterally in outspread form, interconnections between said stem detector and said lamina ejector for ejecting said lamina after it has traveled a predetermined distance past the cutter, and means for removing the stem axially at a stern ejecting station.

18. A stern severing and lamina spreading and ejecting mechanism comprising continuously traveling steel belts for conveying a tobacco stem along a predetermined path of travel, a stem detector for ascertaining the presence of a tobacco stern, a pair of cutters for severing the lamina on opposite sides of the stern as it moves along said predetermined path of travel, a timing device actuated by said stem detector, lamina ejecting members mounted parallel to the path of travel of said stem for ejecting lamina in outspread form, mechanism interconnecting said timing device with said lamina ejecting mechanism for ejecting the lamina in outspread form after a predetermined period of time following the actuating of said detector by a tobacco stem, a lamina collecting conveyor traveling in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of said stern so as yto collect the ejected lamina in side-by-side relationship thereon, and means for `causing said steel belts to eject said severed stems axially.

19. A stem severing and lamina spreading machine,

means for receiving the butt end of a tobacco stem and forwarding the stern axially, a cutter for severing the lamina from opposite sides of the stern, a lamina ejecting mechanism positioned and extending along opposite sides of the path of travel of said stern for deecting said lamina laterally, a lamina collecting conveyor traveling under said stern in a direction transverse to the direction in which the stem travels for receiving said discharged lamina in outspread form and in side-by-side relationship, and means for detecting the presence of a stem and for actuating said lamina ejectors after a predetermined interval of time following the detection of a stern.

20. The process of stemming and spreading a tobacco leaf lamina which comprises the steps of feeding such tobacco leaf lamina along a predetermined path, spreading out the tobacco leaf lamina as it is fed along said path, severing the stem from said leaf while being advanced along said path in the spread out condition and discharging the leaf lamina sideways from said path while maintaining said lamina in substantially spread out condition.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 97,596 Borgfeldt Dec. 7, 1869 347,794 Hammerstein Aug. 24, 1886 534,147 Fries Feb. 12, 1895 713,057 Bush Nov. l1, 1902 1,523,033 Morris Ian. 13, 1925 2,671,452 Molins Mar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,032 Great Britain 1907 872,761 Germany Apr. 2, 1953 

